We need help, say Kilburn High Road shops after windows are smashed in

SHOPS on Kilburn High Road have had their windows smashed over recent weeks, including an independent café.

Staff at Maison Vie, on the corner of Kingsgate Place, said they were “not shocked” to find their shop window vandalised again at the weekend. Police attended on Saturday.

A senior founder of the café, who asked not to be named, told the New Journal that during the past year there had been four to five break-ins through one of the windows of the shop, adding: “Last week we came at 6.30am in the morning to another smashed window and again on Saturday. It’s unfair to small businesses that are paying the rates and expect the council to invest more in the area and sort out these ongoing issues.”

Sharing their concerns on Twitter, the café which opened in November 2017, said: “This is Kilburn where Camden Council meet Brent Council. Are they waiting for each ­other to address this ongoing issues?”

Maison Vie

Last month, the nearby Cancer Research charity shop also had its display window attacked. Lali Farizoe, assistant manager, said in that incident it appeared to be one person going around and smashing windows.

She said: “It’s horrible. It happened a few months back in January, it was the same thing that happened, someone smashing it like it’s fun for them.”

As the New Journal reported last year, traders shared their fears for the future of the road with one citing business rates, rent, rise of online shopping and the depressed state of the high road as factors. Camden and Brent councils share responsibly for different sides of Kilburn High Road.

The authorities have joined forces to get Transport for London (TfL) funding to improve the “public realm” and “public transport issues” on the road. This week Brent Council said while the café is within Camden Council’s domain, they are “always happy to work with bordering local authorities and will pick up with Camden’s community safety team to discuss how we can best support”.

Camden’s crime chief Councillor Nadia Shah said: “This shocking vandalism is unacceptable. We will get in contact with Maison Vie and to understand how we can support them now and in the future in response to these issues.”

She added: “We encourage businesses to contact the police in the first instance if they suspect criminal damage has taken place. We can then work with the police and the business to examine their wider security concerns.”